The Chilling Effect Jared Leto's Joker Had On The Suicide Squad Crew

Out of all the characters set to join the burgeoning DCEU, arguably none has us more intrigued and excited than Jared Leto’s take on The Joker. His appearance in Suicide Squad has become instantly iconic and equally controversial, with people eagerly waiting to see how the character acts when the film finally hits theaters. Everyone’s excited to see what he brings to the character in David Ayer’s upcoming super villain team-up, and – according to the director – Leto even managed to terrify people on the film’s set.

Suicide Squad director David Ayer recently spoke out to Total Film (via DCVertigoDaily) praising Jared Leto’s take on The Joker, and describing the way in which the performer entranced everyone on set:

What Jared has done is absolutely incredible. When he steps onto the set the world stops. Everything stops. What he’s done is so powerful, so menacing, and so palpable, you can feel him. The crew stops working and just watches him. I have to get everybody going again because he’s so fascinating.

Based on David Ayer’s quote, we can likely assume that Jared Leto will bring something incredibly different and chilling to the character. This isn’t the Cesar Romero Joker from the 1960s; he describes Leto as a force of nature -- a malignant being full of malice and pure evil. Leto has a long history of taking on outlandish roles and performing for massive audiences, so for him to be able to capture the attention of an entire room feels fitting; just like The Joker, he’s a born performer.

The fact that Leto remained in character whenever on set, and really tried to become The Joker, probably helped him hammer home the insanity of the character. Over the last year or so, we’ve reported on numerous instances of him terrifying his co-stars by sending them dead animals, and just generally acting like a complete nut job on set.

The actor has quite a bit to live up to; between Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, and Heath Ledger, one could argue that every incarnation of The Clown Prince of Crime has become iconic in its own right. Leto has to honor the history of the character while still breaking new ground – a job none of us envy in the slightest.

Based on everything we’ve heard, we really cannot wait to see what Jared Leto actually brings to the character. The Joker is one of the most iconic villains of all time, and one of the most easily identifiable silver screen bad guys in the history of the medium. We will keep you up to date regarding any and all updates related to Suicide Squad and Jared Leto’s Joker; Suicide Squad will hit theaters later this summer on August 5.

There are going to be some serious DC Comics Easter Eggs In Suicide Squad, including one massive spoiler. Want to know where the DC Films are heading after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Then you are going to want to keep reading.

Batman Cameo

Suicide Squad will feature a slew of popular Batman villains, from Killer Croc to The Joker. So it makes sense that Batman would have a role.